When the COVID-19 pandemic forced school systems to move online, students in Washington, D.C. and across the nation struggled. The health crisis exacerbated long-standing racial inequities. Many students also faced food, housing, and economic insecurity, all while trying to obtain an education virtually. Among those most affected were students experiencing homelessness, who numbered about 7,000 in D.C. public schools when counted over the course of the 2018-2019 school year. They often lack access to the internet or a place to work and charge school-issued devices, if they even get them.
With the return to in-person learning this school year, students experiencing homelessness need further support. Across the city, school district liaisons responsible for identifying and supporting children experiencing homelessness report more unaccompanied youth who are homeless and navigating challenges relating to transportation, caring for siblings, or struggling with food security. These students frequently work while attempting to attend school. All of these barriers are alarming when you consider that not completing high school is the greatest single risk factor for homelessness as a young adult.
While the Center for Disease Control’s eviction moratorium brought housing stability for some families starting in September 2020, the Supreme Court recently struck down that policy on the federal level. The end of the moratorium likely means that the number of students and their families experiencing homelessness will rise in the coming months despite increased local funding for housing. As a result, educators, advocates, and school leaders must ensure that students experiencing homelessness do not go missing from school and have the resources they need to succeed.
The federal government delivered a significant investment in education for children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness amid COVID-19 with the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act. Of the $386 million D.C. received in education funding, $2.5 million is dedicated specifically to the identification, enrollment, and school success of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
Educators and school leaders must make the best use of these funds. They should lean on the expertise of the homelessness liaisons in each D.C. school, who are usually the most knowledgeable people for all matters relating to housing and homelessness in the community. At the state education agency level, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) houses the Homeless Education Program, while the Office of the Student Advocate, a part of the D.C. State Board of Education, is also able to provide resources and support for students and families. To help families facing eviction, local liaisons are connecting with eviction courts, legal aid, housing agencies, and realtors. They are also engaged in public awareness campaigns to help families understand their legal options and get connected to emergency rent relief and utility assistance. Schools must be a part of emergency rental assistance distribution, either directly or indirectly, which may mean forging new partnerships and placing housing and resource navigators within schools.
Families and youth who are experiencing homelessness need these services, as well as emergency shelter options, reliable transportation, food, clothing, counseling, credit recovery and accrual, help with student financial aid applications, and assistance accessing available early childhood programs. The American Rescue Plan Act provides dedicated dollars for children and youth experiencing homelessness. If passed, the Build Back Better Act would also fund housing access as well as education for students facing homelessness.
Homelessness is not an identity, but an experience that disadvantaged students disproportionately face. Youth experiencing homelessness should have equal access to the same educational opportunities and services as permanently housed youth. Effective school outreach and partnerships have the potential to address these inequities. And as District leaders and advocates deploy new local and federal infusions of cash, they must prioritize investments in these uniquely vulnerable kids.
Sarah Mehrotra is a P-12 Research & Policy Analyst at The Education Trust, a nonprofit that promotes excellence and equity in education for disadvantaged students. Barbara Duffield is Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection, a nonprofit working to overcome homelessness through education.
